reading and writing about why we work

December 2014

12/15/2014

Today I read an interview in, GiG: Americans Talk About Their Jobs, about The Chief Executive Officer of the financial services company American General Corporation. The CEO’s name is Robert Devlin. Devlin is a determined individual who was attracted to the idea of being CEO by the challenge of it rather than the money. Devlin started out selling life insurance (essentially at the bottom) and over the years worked his way all the way up to the top. He seems to love his job. From the reading I gathered that the thing he dislikes most about being CEO is when he must make difficult decisions such as downsizing. Although according to Devlin, it doesn’t always work out badly. Devlin says in the interview, “A lot of these things sometimes, actually, although they look grueling to the outside people, they're actually of benefit to the people involved. Because why keep people in a position where they're awkward and they know themselves that things aren't working right? Why do that?” (56) I’ve experienced a coworker getting fired and it actually being to there benefit like Devlin is describing here. I had this friend/coworker when I used to work for Regal Entertainment Group (the movie theater) who hated his job. The pay at that corporation is not good and they do not provide benefits. So Nick (my friend/coworker) had to stretch bad paychecks to pay rent, medical insurance, and child support for his daughter. Nick was able to make it work but not very well. Nick was also not the type of guy you usually see working at a movie theater, you could tell he wasn’t happy there. Nick was ultimately fired for receiving four write-ups. Getting fired ended up being the best thing that ever happened to him. He was motivated to go try and find a better job that he actually enjoyed, which he did. A few months later he was working as a chef at a nice restaurant. A job where he doesn’t have to talk to customers, does something that he actually loves to do (cook), and makes probably twice as much money as before. I can definitely connect with Devlin’s quote regarding having to let people go because I have definitely seen it work out to both party’s benefit like he is saying.

In the excerpt of The Devil's Tools by Robert Burton he talks about idleness. The scholar explains that as long as they are idle you can never please them. Burton describes idleness as almost being bored and trying to find something interesting “Well they may build castles in the air for a time and sooth up themselves with fantastical and pleasant humors, but in the end they will prove as bitter as gall…discontent”. Although this is his opinion it is a very popular opinion that when you have idle hands you get in trouble or you lose interest in things and find something dangerous and thrilling to fill your void. To keep from being idle you need to find something that you love doing. A hobbie or job you enjoy and make you to want to get to work everyday. Burton has a lot to say about idle people and one thing I found to be true was “A young man is like a fair new house: the carpenter leaves it well built, in good repair, of solid stuff, but a bad tenant lets it rain in, and for want of reparation, fall to decay, etc.” Burton uses a metaphor for a human being calling it a house. A house needs a lot of care just like a human and if you’re idle or bored you don’t want to make those repairs that it needs. The good tenants are you’re parents. They want you to be cared for so they do the “repair” for you. Robert Burton is a genius in the way that he compares being idle to life.

Do what needs to be done, love what you need to do, then do what you love. Gordon Marino's article A Life Beyond 'Do What You Love' approached the topic of doing what you love and questions if it is "Wisdom or Malarky?" (Marino). Moreno speaks of his father's job choice and states that "He labored at a job that he detested so that he could send his children to college." He goes on to question if it is reasonable for someone who posses a skill that is needed by thier community to quit that proffession to pursue something they love, but that does not benefit the community. I would answer that as to say that the absent of a talented person who is not willing to do the job opens up an opportunity for someone who is willing to do the job. I would take a person who wants to do a job over someone who can do a job because the person who wants it is liked to do what they need to do to be good at it.

As a parent, I agree that I must do what I must to provide for my family and myself, but I do not believ that I have to "detest" it, as Moreno describes. I admire anyone who would do a job they did not like in order to reach their goal, but would add that a person's attitude about thier postition is often where their dislike for a situation comes from. I also believe that some people pay their dues to get to a better place in life while others pay their dues, and stay where they are, just so they are able to say that they paid them. As a Soldier in the U.S. Army, worked several jobs that truly did not like and managed to make the best of them and appreciate the experiences. Each job that I had has prepared me, in some way, to take on the next job opportunity. Today, I love what I need to do for work and am working to do what I Love.

Rodney Atkins - Farmers Daughter is a song that first landed my thoughts when reading about our assignment. It is not a generic work song but has a love and fun twist to it. Storytelling song about work leading to love. The song is about a young farmer who was desperately searching for a job. He hears about a farmer looking for "somebody with a truck and two strong arms, not scared of dirt and wheeling the work till the sun comes down". The young man gets the job and begins complaining about work conditions saying "That summer sun had me sweating like a dog". Although I don't work in a farm or physical labor, I can relate to it because like most individuals, we often can complain about job situations. We dislike this, or that or wish this was different are routine thoughts in the work place. Learning to stick through the tough and training phases is what brings satisfaction towards the end. Reaching different layers in a job, for example a promotion, a raise, or for this farmer, love. The young farmer discovers that his persistency through tough physical labor lead to happiness for him when he declares , " I was cussing out loud, thinkin bout quittin - looking back now, I was glad I didn't, cause just when I thought it couldn't get no harder I fell in love with the farmer's daughter". Many of us can relate to this song, not through a love story but realizing that hard work sometimes leads us to better things. For example, when I had my first job at a fast food place, I constantly complained about the night hours or stressful drive thru task, but these jobs ultimately trained me to be a better employee for my future jobs. I learned new skills.

""One thing is certain—I must compose a great opera or none". These are the initial words Mozart used in a set of work he wrote. Powerful and clear thought. These words are impressive, and express a "no excuse" kind of attitude towards his work. Mozart was one of the most famous composer in the classic era. His music was influential to the world. I was drawn to this writing because of the intitial sentence, I take my work serious. I believe in quality of work. In his writings he confesses to being driven by challenges and his unwillingness to destroy his reputation by delivering work that lacks in quality. Mozart was determined to work hard to write great music. His determination strikes when he continues stating "for I do not care to wrestle with dwarfs" this quote is written to express his willingness to compete with the bigger writers in his era. Similiar to Mozart, I am fascinated by the challenge I face with the competition, it becomes more of a challenge and learning experience. If the work is easy, I say the work quality is not enough. It's the dedication, constant corrections, and learning outcomes that make for exceptional work. The message I learned from this is believing in yourself and setting high expectations.Nothing less than exceptional efforts.

I have included a video that was somewhat related to my blog, but it involved a little more than delivering quality work. This video talks about creating positive thoughts, which not only involve thoughts but also body language which can help in reaching more postive outcomes. Because that is how positivity begins, You!

"Flight Attendant" was the reading I was interested in this time around. This was a very funny reading, the flight attendant talks about the reason why she decided to apply for the job. She shares that her decision was based on a spontaneous bet between her father and herself. Turns out the job offers great benefits! Aside from the benefits, Carrie, learns to love her job. She finds the good in the job and finds humor on the negative experiences. She shares an experience where a passenger becomes very rude and throws a cheeseburger to her face. Regardless of how upset she was at the time, Carrie is able to look back and laugh at the situation. She learned to love her job and she claims that ,"In any job, somebody is serving somebody. That's just the bottom line. It doesn't matter what you do. What it comes down to is, you know, it's a job" (199). I was able to relate because I started my job experience at a very young age, and across all my jobs I have found similiar situations to face. They all have negative sides, and you will always be serving somebody, regardless of what your occupation is. You learn to deal with people, that's what most jobs are about, dealing with people and finding balances on your end. Learning self control and differences.

A few years back at the age of sixteen I began to work in the fast food industry. I disliked what I did at the time, and I constantly found reasons to skip work. In one of these fast food jobs I met a very strong leader. She encouraged me to find passion in what I did, even if it was being the drive thru girl taking orders. I was frustrated with the job and decided to read a book she recommended. One particular book declared ideas about finding love in all you do, which is contrary to DWYL. DWYL supports the idea of simply "Doing what you love". After reading "In the Name of Love" by Miya Tokumitsu, I have a new way of looking at the work force. How many individuals really do have the luxury to do what they love? I realized that very few people have that option. I now wonder if the ideas introduced to me in the past were simply a cover up to encourage to perform well in a low wage paying occupation? I think yes! DWYL is not only an inspirational method for workers who seek happiness in their jobs,but it can be a problem that "leads not to salvation, but to the devaluation of actual work, including the very work it pretends to elevate — and more importantly, the dehumanization of the vast majority of laborers." (Tokumitsu). After reading those compositions I have opened a new mindset at how I view work. There are social economic boundaries that are set to be invisible for the ones who are meant to ignore them and work, which are the underpaid laborers. Does Love and Loyalty matter in the workforce? I would have to say no.

12/13/2014

Out Here Grindinby Dj Khaled is the song I chose. This song expresses "the struggle" and how working hard is important to move forward in life. The song goes through what life is like living day to day on the streets. It also speaks about how he works solely for the money ; for example says “All I want is my paper,” showing Khaled’s drive derives from financial means and to live a lifestyle so different than his childhood financial struggles. Sometimes at my own job, I worked extremely long shifts at my restaurant job and it was hard to get through my shift; the only thing that pushed me through each shift was reminding myself that I was getting paid. Another experience that helped me keep my mind focused on my money was when I got tips. I dealt with a lot of difficult customers at my job, so to receive tips from friendly and generous customers helped push my motivation.

I chose to read the excerpt called "Songwriter" , by a songwriter named Kevin Bowe. He is signed with a publishing company called Leiber and Stoller, founded by two famous songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. This passage applies to my life because I write songs as well and go through similiar methods, for example when in one paragraph Bowe says "I get my songs from everything"(329). I believe song ideas can come from almost anything especially when you least expect it. I know that since for my own song I get ideas from just about anything.